Contents

SRCE System Improvement Plan

2019-2020 Progress Report 1/2

Family Literacy Day Celebrations

in SRCE Schools 3

Pre-Primary Program

Registration for 2020-2021 4

Grade Primary Registration in

English and French Immersion

for 2020-2021 4

SRCE Hosts Two Successful

Job Fairs for Non-Teaching

Casual Employees 5

Information on Class and/or Bus

Route Cancellations due to

Weather and/or Road

Conditions 6

Who Do I Contact With

Questions or Concerns? 6

Important Dates/Events Monday, January 6, 2020 Classes Resume Monday, January 27, 2020 Family Literacy Day February African Heritage Month February 3 to 7, 2020 Canadian School Counselling Week Saturday, February 15, 2020 National Flag of Canada Day Monday, February 17, 2020 Heritage Day Holiday

As I present my first report for 2020, it is hard to believe that we also mark the mid-way of the 2019-2020 school year. In this month’s report, I am particularly pleased to provide a progress report on the SRCE System Improvement Plan for 2019-2020. Under the leadership of our Programs and Student Services Department, an impressive number of initiatives have been implemented that are focused on improving student achievement in literacy and mathematics and fostering student well-being through the creation of positive, safe and inclusive learning environments. Our collective attention will continue to be concentrated on these priority areas that will raise the bar and close the gap to address the needs of all leaners in the SRCE. I would also like to highlight the job fairs for non-teaching casual employees that were recently hosted by the SRCE. This was the first time this type of job fair was organized by the SRCE. Our main goal in hosting the job fairs was to expand our recruitment and hiring efforts beyond our traditional methods of posting vacancies online and to increase the number of casuals available to fill in for identified positions. The fairs were also a great opportunity for our school communities to learn more about the employment opportunities now available in our region. As always, I encourage you to keep an eye for some of our school and regional celebrations in print, on our website (www.srce.ca) and via the SRCE twitter (@SRCE_NS). Sincerely,

Paul Landry Regional Executive Director

Paul Landry Regional Executive Director

of Education

304 Pitt Street, Unit 2 Port Hawkesbury, NS B9A 2T9;

www.srce.ca; srce@srce.ca; 902-625-2191/

1-800-650-4448 (P) 902-625-2281 (F)

Follow us on Twitter @SRCE_NS

Regional Executive Director’s Report

to School Communities in the Strait Region

January 2020

SRCE System Improvement Plan 2019-2020 – Progress Report

I am very pleased to provide a progress report on the SRCE’s System Improvement Plan for 2019-2020. The SRCE System Improvement Plan focuses on goals and priorities that will raise the bar and close the gap to address the needs of all learners in the SRCE.

The Strait Regional Centre for Education Programs and Student Services team worked alongside school principals and vice principals, as well as teachers from across the region, who represented all grades, subject/specialty areas and years of experience, to collaboratively develop a System Improvement Plan for the 2019-2020 school year. The establishment of goals, priorities and implementation strategies evolved from a comprehensive review of evidence of student learning, as well as research and educational literature emphasizing the emotional, motivational and affective elements that need to be fostered in order to facilitate learning and develop the whole student.

This System Improvement Plan is responsive to recent results in student achievement, as well as trends over time. It also represents an understanding of the link between true achievement and authentic well-being, and the critical need to provide students with the conditions in which they can achieve their full potential. All priorities and implementation strategies were developed through an inclusive, equitable and culturally responsive lens to ensure that all students, including those students who are not represented in the success criteria, have access to a continuum of supports and services to facilitate greater success.

For more information, please access the complete plan at SRCE System Improvement Plan for 2019-2020, and access the infographic below or online at SRCE System Improvement Plan 2019-2020 Infographic.

2

SRCE System Improvement Plan – Progress Report

(continued)

3

Family Literacy Day Celebrations in SRCE Schools

The SRCE believes that literacy skills are essential for lifelong success. Students, staff, families, volunteers and community members were invited to celebrate Family Literacy Day on Monday, January 27, 2020, and every day, by setting aside time to read with children and youth and inspire them to become lifelong readers. More information is highlighted in the news story, SRCE Celebrates Family Literacy Day on January 27, 2020, and Through the Year. Literacy instruction is a priority for all students in the SRCE, across subjects and grade levels. Further, the goal of improving student achievement in literacy is one of the main goals included in both the SRCE’s System Improvement Plan and Education Business Plan for 2019-2020. Encouraging reading and writing together as a family helps students develop good listening, speaking, vocabulary and language skills, imagination and creativity, and contributes to their future success and well-being. There are many ways to develop and strengthen literacy skills from reading a book together, playing a word game, writing, making a list, using a recipe, surfing the web or just simply having a conversation. Let’s make reading and learning together part of our everyday activities in and out of the classroom.

4 Pre-Primary Program Registration for the 2020-2021 School Year

Families who wish to register children for the Pre-primary Program may do so during school hours the week of February 10, 2020, at the following school locations:

Antigonish Education Centre (Antigonish)

Bayview Education Centre (Port Hood)

Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre/Academy (Terre Noire)

Chedabucto Education Centre/Guysborough Academy (Guysborough)

East Antigonish Education Centre/Academy (Monastery)

East Richmond Education Centre (St. Peters)

Fanning Education Centre/Canso Academy (Hazel Hill)

Felix Marchand Education Centre (Louisdale)

H.M. MacDonald Elementary School (Maryvale)

Inverness Education Centre/Academy (Inverness)

St. Andrews Consolidated School (St. Andrews)

St. Mary’s Education Centre/Academy (Sherbrooke)

Tamarac Education Centre (Port Hawkesbury)

Whycocomagh Education Centre (Whycocomagh)

Grade Primary Registration in English and French Immersion for the 2020-2021 School Year

Families who have not yet had the opportunity to register their children for Grade Primary may still do so. This registration information is very important in order for the SRCE to begin school planning and staffing for the 2020-2021 school year.

Children who are five (5) years of age on or before December 31, 2020, are eligible to attend. Please access this link for registration requirements – Grade Primary Program Registration in English and French Immersion for the 2020-2021 School Year.

Did You Know?

In the SRCE, busing is available to all pre-primary children eligible to receive bus service. Please contact the SRCE Transportation Department staff at 902-747-3647 to determine your eligibility to receive bus service.

There are 321 children attending Pre-

primary Programs in the SRCE.

IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Children who are four (4) years of age on or before December 31, 2020, are eligible to attend.

Registration must be completed in person at the school. At that time, the child’s birth certificate, provincial health card and completed school registration form are required to complete the registration process. Registrations by telephone will not be accepted.

The School Registration Form may be accessed in the Document Depot section of the Strait Regional Centre for Education website at www.srce.ca or at the school.

It is not necessary for children to accompany parents/guardians to the school for registration.

In the SRCE, busing is available to all pre-primary children eligible to receive bus service. Please contact the SRCE Transportation Department staff at 902-747-3645 to determine your eligibility to receive bus service.

This is a voluntary program and children may only attend for one year.

There is no fee for the Program.

The Program will run from September 2020 to June 2021.

When there are available pre-primary spaces, families who live outside a school’s catchment area may apply to have their child attend a Program out of catchment by submitting an Application for Transfer of Students within the Region Request Form located in the Document Depot of the SRCE website. These spaces are limited and will only be considered when space is available and no additional staffing is required to accommodate the request.

Bus routes will not be altered in the event that a child has been approved to attend a Program outside their family’s catchment area.

For more information, or if you require assistance with the registration process, please contact Carolyn Webber, Manager of Pre-Primary and Early Years Programs at carolyn.webber@srce.ca / 902-631-4617; or visit https://www.ednet.ns.ca/pre-primary.

SRCE Hosts Two Successful Job Fairs for Non-Teaching Casual Employees

5

The SRCE held two very successful job fairs for non-teaching casual employees on January 28, 2020, at Tamarac Education Centre and on February 4, 2020, at Antigonish Education Centre. We were very pleased that approximately 150 potential new casual employees took the time to attend the fairs during which they had an opportunity to hear first-hand from staff about their experiences working with the SRCE, visit booths where they could ask questions on specific positions, apply online and be interviewed. I extend sincere thanks to our Planning Committee, led by SRCE Director of Human Resources Janice Gough, for their special attention to the many details of hosting and organizing this event, and to all SRCE staff who helped ensure the evening was beneficial for attendees. I would also like to thank the staff at Tamarac Education Centre and Antigonish Education Centre for kindly accommodating the use of the school and for their help in setting up and preparing for the fair. One of the many strengths we have in the SRCE is our highly qualified and dedicated staff who work hard each and every day to support our students and school communities. As an education system, ALL SRCE STAFF, regardless of our individual positions, have an important responsibility to support student learning, achievement, well-being and overall success. Whether it be greeting a student by name, smiling when we see them, saying something kind and positive, spending a few extra minutes connecting and building a relationship with them, and making students feel welcome and valued as we carry out our duties, we, as staff members, have a significant role to play in helping students start and end their school day successfully. We are in the enviable position to share quality time with children and youth in the SRCE every day and make a meaningful and positive difference in their lives. I consider it a privilege to be able to work in the public school system in the Strait Region. I look forward to the attendees joining the SRCE team and becoming part of our collective efforts to inspire, support, nurture and connect with our children and youth, and help them achieve success in school and in life.

6 Information on Class and/or Bus Route Cancellations Due to Weather and/or Road Conditions

Winter weather is here. This is a good time for parents/guardians to review their backup plan with their children in the event that classes and/or bus routes are cancelled due to weather and/or road conditions. Our preference is always to have our students in school. We recognize that parents/guardians are concerned when their children miss class time, and we share this concern. That is why our decision to cancel classes is not made lightly and is made with the safety of students and staff as the first priority. The vast majority of our students are bused to school and our region covers a very large geographic area of 11,000 sq. km. Due to our large geographic region, it is very important that we gather information from many sources beginning very early in the morning, around 5:00 a.m., to enable us to make an informed decision and announce it prior to 6:30 a.m., to the degree possible, to help families plan accordingly. The Decision-Making Process

The Strait Regional Centre for Education follows a comprehensive decision-making process and detailed procedures in regards to class and bus service cancellations. Our decision-making process includes consultations with, and a review of information from, the following:

The SRCE Manager of Transportation and Director of Operations;

Staff who personally travel on the roads very early in the morning evaluating road and weather conditions;

Weather forecasting services including Environment Canada, WOOD Weather Information System, and The Weather Network;

Local region contacts (school bus drivers);

Neighbouring Regional Centres for Education;

Provincial highway cameras;

The Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal; and

RCMP, if required.

Winter weather is here. Do you have a backup plan in place in the event that classes are cancelled due to weather and/or road conditions? Access this Storm Days video to learn more.

There are six possible phases of cancellations: Phase I: Cancellation of a Bus Run or Runs Phase II: Cancellation of Bus Service on Unpaved Roads Phase III: Cancellation of Classes due to Inclement Weather Phase IV: Delayed Opening of Schools Phase V: Early Dismissal: Predicted and Deteriorating Weather/Road Conditions During the Day Phase VI: Partial or Complete System Shutdown/Schools and Buildings Closed For specific details on each phase, please refer to our brochure, Class Cancellations Due to Weather and/or Road Conditions: A Quick Reference Guide How to Stay Informed

Listen to local radio stations

Access the SRCE website at https://srce.ca/content/cancellations-and-announcements

Follow SRCE on Twitter @SRCE_NS

Subscribe to receive class cancellation and/or bus route notices via email and/or text at https://srce.ca/content/stay-

informed

Contact Information

Transportation Staff: 902-747-3645; 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Operations Centre Dispatch: 902-747-3642; 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Emergency Bussing Telephone Number: 902-747-3642; 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.